Trace-Norm Overlaps of Quantum States: Interpolation, Equality, and Data-Processing Rigidity
Let $\rho$ and $\sigma$ be density operators on a separable Hilbert space. For $0<\alpha<1$, we study the directed trace-norm overlap $\Phi_\alpha(\rho,\sigma)=\|\rho^\alpha\sigma^{1-\alpha}\|_1$ and its symmetrized form $\mathcal F_\alpha(\rho,\sigma)=\frac12\bigl(\Phi_\alpha(\rho,\sigma)+\Phi_{1-\alpha}(\rho,\sigma)\...